# Connecticut cemetery leases spare land for 7,000 solar panels 2026-08-15T09:51:23+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A Catholic cemetery in Torrington, Connecticut, has leased about 11 acres of unused land for an array of roughly 7,000 solar panels. Hartford-based Verogy developed the project under a 20-year agreement with the Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Archdiocese of Hartford. The panels are separated from graves by a forested stretch and sit on a 66-acre parcel with no near-term burial plans. The association has also developed a similar project in North Haven, as cremation rates rise and traditional burial demand slows. A five-year study by Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that native grasses and wildflowers planted beneath solar panels tripled total insect abundance and increased native bee numbers more than 20-fold. Bee visits to nearby soybean fields were about twice as high as at fields without nearby habitat. Whether Torrington gains these benefits will depend on how the land is managed. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Connecticut, Torrington, Verogy Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/connecticut-cemetery-leases-spare-land-for-7000-solar-panels/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/connecticut-cemetery-leases-spare-land-for-7000-solar-panels/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.